


Water and Fire

by coucherdesoleil



Series: Water and Fire [1]
Category: Babylon 5
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-02
Updated: 2016-07-02
Packaged: 2018-07-19 03:43:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7343419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coucherdesoleil/pseuds/coucherdesoleil
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a romantic John/Delenn story, with some plot. Diverges from canon sometime in season 4.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a romantic John/Delenn story, with some plot. Diverges from canon sometime in season 4. (OK, so I'm old. Deal with it, LOL.)
> 
> Disclaimers: B5 is not mine and I'm not making any money off this. 
> 
> And I know I'm one of the few who do this in fanficworld, but I'd like to dedicate this story to my friend Leslie. 
> 
> This one contains major spoilers for 'Falling Towards Apotheosis'. 
> 
> "Then she, with earnest kiss, sufficiently did prove  
> That more than by the fear of death she was attaint  
> by love."  
> 'The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet', by Arthur Brooke.

"Then she, with earnest kiss, sufficiently did prove  
That more than by the fear of death she was attaint  
by love."  
'The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet', by Arthur Brooke.

* * *

  
"I told you I was afraid that I would get you back, only to lose you.  
And that's what this is...twenty years."

"It's a long time. And at least, I can spend most of them with you."

(Delenn and John Sheridan, FtA.)

A short time afterwards...

* * *

Delenn of the Minbari stood waiting for the Brakiri ambassador.

The Brakiri had undergone an attack by the Vorlons only twenty-two hours before, an attack which had, by all appearances, cost them the three worlds outlying their solar system.

Only one loss had been confirmed, with planetary rubble strewn for several light years, but contact with the other two had been lost for more than twelve hours, and considering Vorlon methods, the conclusion was a logical one. The Brakiri had asked for help, for protection, for *anything* they could get, as strange reports from hyperspace in their sector gave rise to the fear that the Vorlons meant to erase all traces of Brakiri existence.

And so, Delenn was waiting for the Brakiri ambassador, waiting to escort him to the war room... Waiting patiently despite the terror gripping her heart.

And Delenn of the Minbari had very rarely been afraid.

* * *

  
"We *must* have your assistance or we are done for!" The poor man was shouting, beyond all attempts at reason. "Do you not understand? I am here to beg you -beg you!- to save us! We are at this very moment faced with the extinction of our very civilisation! Please..." He broke off, unable to continue.

John Sheridan had his head in his hands. This was not the first such request he had received. And it would probably not be the last. But there was very little he could do at the moment. They were simply not ready. Not ready! He forced himself to stand and walk towards the man. Looking first towards Delenn at his side, he answered.

"I'm sorry." The other looked at him aghast. Sheridan held up a hand.

"I wish to God it were otherwise! But there is very little we can do for you at this point. We will continue to assist you in the evacuation of your people. But we can't risk an all-out attack. Not yet!"

"But we have given you ships! To build your fleet! You promised us..." The other broke off.

"I know. And your contribution was -and is- essential. But war is as much strategy as it is clout. And we need to plan this carefully, or they'll just destroy us *all*!" He

gripped the desk he had begun to lean on even harder.

He could not even be completely truthful...Couldn't let the other know, or remind him, exactly *how* desperate their odds were.

There was a moment of silence, as the Brakiri ambassador sat, trying to grasp the enormity of what was happening. Finally, he looked up. "And this is your final word on this matter." It was not question.

Sheridan nodded silently, and the other walked out, quietly.

* * *

  
He was sitting in the dark when the doorchime to his quarters rang.

"Come." He said softly. Delenn entered, and sat beside him, taking him in her arms. He buried his face in her shoulder.

By sheer force of will, he forced himself to raise his head. Touching a hand to the softness of her cheek he brought them back to the day-to-day.

"Any news from Ivanova?" He asked. He had sent her and Marcus on another search for First Ones, which had so far been fruitless. Lorien had gone along as well, to help, the day before. And with them lay their only hope of survival.

She shook her head, the sadness in her eyes mirroring his own.

Taking that beloved face in his hands, he said softly, smiling: "So, are you sure you still want to marry me?"

She moved onto his lap, putting her arms about him. "More than ever...my love."

She said with strangled emotion in her voice. And kissed him with all the love she could muster.

* * *

  
*Relax.* He thought to himself. *Making yourself crazy isn't going to do anybody any good.*

Sheridan faced the view of the stars in C&C, his mind was oblivious to the glory. There had been no news from Ivanova for more than thirteen hours, and after ten hours off-shift spent staring at the ceiling in his quarters he had gotten himself to C&C, though he suspected he looked like Death's bride.

"Captain! Something's coming through the jumpgate!" Corwin said.

It was Ivanova.

* * *

  
"So. Did you find anything?" Marcus and Ivanova stood before him, with Lorien somewhat off to the side.

Ivanova nodded. "We're in business." She said.

As it turned out, the Vorlons were at less than two days from Babylon 5, destroying what they pleased along their path. The Shadows had not, as of yet, made their presence known, and this fact puzzled even the most informed.

They had managed to contact one other race of First Ones, who had agreed to help them. According to Ivanova, Lorien had told them where to go, what to do when they got there, had instructed her as to what she needed to say, and had in fact done most of the talking himself.

It had been very easy... She had said to her Captain in her report, but he could see that she had more to say than that.

The aliens at Sigma 957 had also been successfully contacted. Both First Ones stood ready to help them.

And such was, aside from planning for Armageddon, the state of things.

* * *

  
John Sheridan sat contemplating these facts when he realized the door chime to his quarters had rung several times.

Sighing: "Come." And he looked up to see Delenn. Without speaking, she walked to him and sat down beside him. She looked at him silently, and handed him a data sheet.

He looked down at it, and felt her slip her arms around his neck.

The Vorlons had changed course, a new course which put them on a direct heading for Earth.

The only thought which was able to penetrate the haze in which his mind found itself was that it was now spring back home. He heard a whisper in his ear, but the words did not make sense. He listened to them again.

"Are you all right?" They finally made sense. He saw tears in her eyes.

Gripping her shoulders and leaning on her he asked: "Do we know anything else?"

She shook her head.

"Then we don't have any news." He said stiffly, rising. He had work to do.

* * *

  
He found everyone assembled in the war room. Entering, he looked at each of them in turn. They stared back at him. Their faces asked him for his decision. Shaking the daze, he spoke.

"You all know what's happened." It was not a question.

"By all appearances, the Vorlons are heading for Earth. And knowing what we know about recent Earth politics, it appears likely that Earth would be a target." He paused  
before continuing.

"Some days ago I called for a fleet to be assembled here, a fleet such as our galaxy has never seen. Until now, we have stood waiting because the time was not right.

Until now, we did not have everything we needed to stand against the Vorlons. Now we do. And, our planning is complete. We are now ready to strike."

There was some sneering at his statement, and the Brakiri ambassador spoke: "*Now*, we are ready to strike." He said simply.

Sheridan looked him straight in the eye.

"Yes." And he continued, "There are some things you did not know, things you still do not know, which prevented us from helping many of you. But we can end the Vorlon threat *now*."

He let them mull it over.

When he came back, they had decided to fight.

* * *

They had decided to fight.

And so, for several hours, ships which had previously massed in Babylon 5 space now vacated it, after planning had been altered to fit a new battlefield.

Sheridan arrived at a door and asked for entrance. The door promptly slid aside to admit him.

There were only a few hours remaining before their departure, and for the first time in one hell of a long time, there was time. They had all agreed that, as not everyone at once was required for the arranging of certain more minor details which were left, shifts would alternate, so as to give everyone the opportunity of some hours down time prior to the battle.

And now, Delenn stood before him. Taking her in his arms, he kissed her.

Still holding her, he spoke into her hair, "I... wanted to ask you something." He paused a moment before continuing.

"I...We have only a few hours before..." He put her away from him a bit, so that he could see her better. "I wanted to ask if... You said you would marry me Delenn." He looked down, then back at her before continuing.

"Will you marry me now? We may not live to see more than tommorow, and before I die I want to be able to call you my wife."

She had tears in her eyes. But she was smiling.

Nodding, she said, "Yes."

* * *

He had been to talk to Ivanova, and after some frantic arranging of the right documents, they had been able to arrange for the marriage to be performed by an ombudsman on the station. There had been no time to arrange for the ceremony they would have chosen. There was not even a best man or best person, as the only one he could think of for the role, namely Ivanova, was the one holding the place together while he was off duty. Indeed, no one besides the two of them and the ombudsman was present at the ceremony, all being consumed by what awaited.

But it had been enough. And when he had looked into her eyes after vowing to spend his life with her, and seen her frown slightly at the unfamiliar vows -particularly at the 'til death do us part' bit- he had been happy.

When it was over, he had kissed her.

* * *

[The Babylon Project was our last, best hope for peace. A self-contained world five miles long, located in neutral territory. A place of commerce and diplomacy for a quarter of a million humans and aliens. A shining beacon in space, all alone in the night. It was the dawn of the Third Age of Mankind...the year the Great War came upon us all. This is the story of the last of the Babylon stations. The year is The name of the place is Babylon 5.

\- Captain Sheridan (taken from 'The Lurker's Guide'...]

* * *

Delenn stood on the bridge of the Whitestar ship, in silence. Occasionally her eyes would drift to her husband...

Her husband. There had not been time for anything, except what was beyond them. Once they had been married, they had had to leave, very possibly never to return.

She regretted many things in her life, but now, oddly perhaps, she felt peace. They would die together, doing what had to be done. And at least now, at the end, they had taken the time to be.

And they would die together.

"Delenn?"

"Yes John?" She turned to smile up at him.

"We've got less than an hour left before we get to the rendez-vous point." The ships which they commanded were to meet outside Earth's solar system. If the First Ones they had contacted intended to keep their promises, they would appear when the attack began.

If they did not, there would be no one left to care.

The two of them walked off the bridge to the tactical center of the ship.

* * *

"All ships report ready." Delenn said to Sheridan, as the last communication was received from the Whitestar fleet -from Ivanova, who was to coordinate things at that end.

He looked at her, taking her hand to his lips.

"Let's give the signal." He said simply.

* * *

Their instruments perceived nothing unusual as they entered Earth's solar system. There was a wait, some minutes long, before the ennemy was detected.

Then the darkness was lit with ships. Vorlons... In sizes of monstrous immensity. The Vorlons fired first, making short work of the front lines: tearing them to shreds in mere seconds.

And still there was no sign of promised reinforcements.

"They have destroyed our front lines." Was all Delenn said as they stood together.

He nodded. If you're falling off a cliff...

"All ships, attack. Fire at will."

As all ships broke formation and opened fire, there were no First Ones with them.

* * *

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

"But yet whan Ioseph Ihesu downe toke,  
The syde *that* the wound was on/lay to his brest;  
The colde blode/that was at our lordes herte rote  
Fell within Iosephes sherte/& lay on his chest.  
Truly as holy scripture sayth/there dyde it rest  
At the holy place/aboue his stomake,  
And whan our lorde/in the sendony was drest,  
Thys blode in two cruettes/Ioseph dyd take."

This bit taken from a writing called "Here Beginneth the Life of Ioseph of Armathia." Printed by Richard Pynson AD 1520.

* * *

"Drazi cruiser K'dl'yim, pull back! They've got you surrounded! Pull-" Another explosion added fuel to the fireball that was surrounding Earth, and John's words died in his throat.

Resolutely, he turned away to tackle yet another situation. Delenn, at his side, passed him tactical information and yelled out orders as desperate as his own.

The Vorlons had plowed through half of their forces already, and the ratio of destruction was of several ships for every Vorlon one.

* * *

A disturbance appeared in space, adding itself to the rest. But this one was different, somehow. Rippled space gave way to waves of ships of designs described by fools, and which had never been confirmed. Wave after wave sighed softly into space.

The attack went into a short lull as the presence was perceived by all. Vorlons turned to give their full attention to the intruders, firing lustily. The bleeding allied fleet, seeing opportunity, redoubled their efforts as the new arrivals added their firepower to the fray.

The skies lit up, and then it was over.

The Vorlons turned and left, cast out.

* * *

Two days after, they were still picking up the pieces. The destruction inflicted by the Vorlons on the Alliance was massive. The First Ones which had helped them had vanished once the battle was over.

Which left a lot of broken ships and piles of debris. Nursing their wounds, they all stayed in the vicinity of Earth after communicating with Babylon 5 and others who could help with repairs and injured. They had also contacted Earth, which had acquiesced, albeit somewhat reluctantly, to the demands for assistance -as well they might, since they had been saved from obliteration by the ships which now asked them for assistance.

Anything having to do with Earth's government was, transiently, tabled.

* * *

"So, what's the latest word on the situation?" Sheridan asked.

"We sent the last of our wounded -the light cases- away to Earth's medical centers a few hours ago. As for the repairs, many of our ships will need several days more for repairs before they are fit to move." Lennier replied.

Sheridan nodded tiredly and turned towards a viewscreen on another part of the bridge. Ivanova, onscreen, looked at him expectantly.

"Well, we're in no hurry to leave. Besides, we've got a lot of people down on Earth that we need to stay for." He rubbed his eyes a moment.

"So..." Ivanova said. "Are you going to respond to his offer?" Lennier turned to look at him also.

President Clark had...contacted them, and asked to speak with him -at his convenience.

"In a way." He said simply.

* * *

The cold air bit him when he stepped out of the shuttle. He stood for a moment, taking in his surroundings. A chapel, built medieval style, stood brandishing its sharp spires -a curious whiff of past near the Geneva spaceport.

He looked up at the clear blue sky and gathered his courage, then began walking.

Entering the huge building which had housed the Earth Senate, he gave his name to the clerk at the front desk, then sat in a richly furnished office some floors above, waiting.

"Captain Sheridan! I'm sorry to keep you waiting." He rose, not taking the other's proferred hand.

"What do you want from me?" He asked. The other sat down, indicating Sheridan should so the same. After some hesitation, Sheridan sat.

"I've come to understand that you played a critical role in the alliance of worlds which saved Earth form annihilation a few days ago." Clark began.

Sheridan remained silent.

"I want to make you an offer. You see, recent events have served to teach me that you were much undervalued in your previous position. I want to remedy that situation."

Sheridan continued to sit in stony silence as the man continued.

"Over the past year I've come to realize that shouldering the responsibilities of government entirely on my own is... perhaps not the best idea. You see, Earth is a big planet, and it's a big galaxy. Therefore I am planning to reinstate the Senate. And I want to offer you a position as Senator. I think we can both agree it would be a most interesting step upwards in your career."

Sheridan looked at him wide-eyed. Did the man really think he was going to go for this?

Clark looked at him expectantly.

"If you've at all followed what's gone on during the past year, I think you'll know I won't go for this-" Sheridan began before Clark cut him off.

"Aha! But you see Captain, you've been away from home for a *long* time. I'm sure it's been a long road. Wouldn't it be enjoyable to...change venues? To be able to look up and see the sky above your home at night?"

Sheridan gave the man before him another hard glare as he answered. "I'm not interested." He said tightly.

Clark looked at him, seeming to take his measure. The other's demeanor abruptly changed.

"Then you leave me no choice. You'll leave Earth's solar system calmly once your repairs are complete, or the fate of the people you've entrusted to our care over the past few days will... make you regret your decision. And you can be sure I'll keep at least some as insurance after you leave. But they'll be well treated, if you and your friends don't move against us. Knowing the high moral ground you like to stand on to view the world, that should be an important incentive."

"If I don't get my friends to move against *you*, you mean." Sheridan said angrily.

"Say it whatever way you want Captain, and insult me as much as you want, but the bottom line is you've got to do as *I* say." He stared at Sheridan coldly.

Then Sheridan spoke. "I'm afraid it's not going to be that way, Mister President." The title dripped with sarcasm, but the rest of his speech -indeed, his entire demeanor- had become strangely calm. "You see, there's one thing you don't realize. We didn't trust you when you said you were willing to help us. So we made sure we had some insurance. With every wounded we sent to you, we sent a Ranger. Now, in case you're not aware of this, the Rangers are a special force, trained in Minbari combat techniques. And another thing is that we have... friends, here on Earth. With their help, we made certain that all the people we sent down are well protected. And trust me on this...They *are*."

He paused before continuing. "And finally, you should know that this building is not only surrounded, but that it has been mined. In less than an hour, unless I speak to my people to tell them to defuse the bomb, you and I are going to go to... separate spiritual destinations very shortly."

Clark's face was, well... As pale as faces could get without actual cardiac distress being involved. "What do I have to do?" He said, breathlessly.

"You are going to call for the Senate to be reinstituted, with as many of its former members as is humanly possible. You will write out the order, sign it, and seal it in the official way in less than one hour. Don't worry, I'll be here to help you."

Sheridan grinned before continuing. "Then, before the end of the day, you will step down in favor of an interim President, to be named by the Senate. You will also give us the names of *all* of your friends. At the end of the day you will find yourself in a cell, where you will await your duly appointed court date."

Clark moved to his terminal, and began writing.

* * *

He sat on the bed and put his head in his hands. It had been a long time since he had slept. But he had at least managed to see Lorien.

He tried to find comfort on the tilted bed. He sighed, opening his eyes. It wasn't working.

"Hello John." Delenn's face, smiling, was near his own. How could he have missed her coming in?

The thoughts were wiped away from his mind as she kissed him softly. Sitting up, he took her in his arms, bringing her as close to him as he could, the kiss growing. They parted as Delenn pushed him away gently, breathless.

"I thought you might like to know," she said, not moving away from him,"that your family is trying to contact you."

He had sent out a message after Clark had been dealt with -which worked out to about two hours ago- but had not gotten a response. Indeed, he had not expected to receive one, given the fact that they probably had had to go in hiding when Babylon 5 had seceded.

Rising, he took her arm, and they walked out of the crew quarters.

* * *

["Then she, with earnest kiss, sufficiently did prove  
That more than by the fear of death she was attaint  
by love."

from 'The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet', by Arthur Brooke.]

* * *

The snow crackled under their feet as they made their way along the frozen path, the sound like a strange chatter in their ears.

Sheridan looked at Delenn, who was walking beside him. They had not spoken since their shuttle had set them down on the American continent only two hours before.

 _Not in words, that is._ He thought to himself as he felt the warmth or her hand against his own, and as their glances met yet again.

It had been three hours ago that he had finally talked to his family. They were all right, and had been anxious to hear about him. As it turned out, they had gone into hiding shortly after Babylon 5 had seceded, finding shelter in the farmhouses of courageous neighbors. Upon hearing of Clark's demise, they had decided to return home to his parent's farmhouse, but had been careful not to make their presence too visible, just in case.

When John had pointed out that the political situation was still quite unstable, and that it might be prudent to remain in hiding some time longer, David Sheridan had been adamant.

"After a whole year of running around and sleeping God knows where, we've had enough! The kids are tired, your mother's tired... We've had enough John. We want to go home."

And that had been the end of that, as well as the conversation.

And now, he was walking home, Delenn by his side. Ivanova had not been happy with the idea of them coming down here, but then, she was hardly ever happy about anything these days, and *he* had been adamant.

At this point, an extended turn brought a large farmhouse into view. Stopping for an instant, he took her into his arms, and pointed to it. They set off.

* * *

The door opened almost instantly when he knocked. They had been expecting him. "John!" His mother, followed by his sister, rushed into his arms. Gratefully he held all of them in turn, heart full.

After a time, they noticed the stranger in their midst. Stepping back, John drew Delenn into the house as they looked on, curious. Their curiosity increased even more as, once inside the heated front room, she removed the cloak which covered her crest.

John cut in as the moment threatened to grow awkward.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Ambassador Delenn of the Minbari." He paused for a moment. "I...really wanted you to meet her, because...We got married a few days ago."

He continued on, plowing into the stunned silence surrounding him. "Delenn, this is my family." And he pointed each of them out, from his parents, to Liz and Dan, and the two boys. Delenn, suddenly shy, smiled at each of them in turn.

"Maybe we should sit." John's mother said after a further silence had laid itself out.

They sat, and the conversation began, subdued at first, as John's family tried to grasp what had happened to him in the past year. Subdued, because of the strange person by John's side. For his sake, they were gently polite as they attempted to understand him and his choices.

Then the feeling became warmer as Delenn, with her gentle and earnest manner, gave them some inkling of the reason behind this particular choice, of why his eyes drifted to her so very often, of why they shone so brightly as they beheld her... Of why there was a joy in his expression which had been lacking for some years.

There was a short awkward pause again as Sean, the youngest of John's two nephews, innocently asked Delenn why she wasn't bald like she'd been when they'd seen her on ISN a few years ago, a bit after Babylon 5 came online. Delenn, for her part, burst out laughing, jokingly answering that she had had enough of her head always being cold, and had therefore opted for a head of hair.

And so the day came to and end, as they became acquainted with one another.

* * *

Graceful trees covered with ice bowed towards the farmhouse window, surrounded by new snow.

"Delenn?" Smiling, she turned away from the sitting-room window. It was so lovely and peaceful here...

"Yes John?" She whispered back. It was late and John's nephews had been given a room down the hall.

"Are you tired?" He asked as he moved towards her, putting his arms about her.

She shook her head. "No. Not really. I was just looking... This is a beautiful place. Such a beautiful place."

"Delenn?" She seemed so far away. Smiling, she turned in his arms, putting her head on his shoulder. "I love you." She said softly, her voice strange. A bit worried, he brought her head up to look at him. "Is everything all right?"

She merely nodded in reply.

"Come on." He began, "You must be tired." And he brought her upstairs.

It was when they reached his old room that he realized the slight akwardness of the situation. Stepping inside, he closed the door.

Holding her gently, he said, "Why don't you get some sleep. I'm sure it'll seem better in the morning." Nodding, she stepped into the bathroom which adjoined the room they were in. Sighing tiredly, he laid himself down on the bedsheets, intending to be awake when she returned.

When she stepped out, however, he was fast asleep. Loathe to disturb him, she removed his shoes and covered him with a blanket, before slipping into the bed and drifting off to sleep as well.

* * *

When he awoke, the sun had turned the curtains on the window into gold.

Raising his head, he realized he had fallen asleep, and took in Delenn next to him. Turning and raising himself on his elbow, he gently brushed a lock of hair away from her face.

To his surprise, she opened her eyes, smiling. "I was awake." She said, laughter in her voice.

As an errant ray of sun stole into the room, she was momentarily surrounded by its fire. His breath caught at the sight.

Without thinking, he bent down and caught her lips with his own. She responded, putting her arms about him and drawing him to her. An eternity seemed to brush by them, to the sound of their rapidly beating hearts. They finally parted, breathless, eyes full of passion. Drawing him to her, all else was, for a time, forgotten.

* * *

When they finally stirred, it was late afternoon.

"Will they not be wondering where we are?" Delenn asked softly.

"I think they'll understand." He said into her hair, "But maybe we should go down anyway... You must be hungry."

"Yes, I suppose we... should."

"We could also stay here."

"Yes, I suppose we... could."

And they decided.

* * *

"John! We were beginning to think you'd never come down." His mother looked at him sideways as she spoke the words.

He blushed.

"Yes, well..."

Grinning, she hugged him before walking away.

Turning, he headed into the dining room and sat down to supper.

* * *

He watched the landscape diminish as he operated the shuttle controls.

He looked towards Delenn, beside him. Last night they had sat with his family, revelling in simple joy... He turned back to the controls.

He had contacted Ivanova, and had learned that the repairs, although not complete, were almost finished.

The shuttle headed up towards the stars.

* * *

 


	3. Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part is dedicated to Leslie and Kim.
> 
> Thanks go to my beta readers: Angela, Brenda Jean Carlson, Kim and Lynne Buckley. 
> 
> (1) The transcript of the rebirth ceremony in "Parliament of Dreams", which transcript was written  
> by Jeffrey P. Newman and posted on the Lurker's Guide, was used as reference for this story part. 
> 
> NB: As before, italics delineate characters' thoughts.

_No news, no news, no news... Oh well, they DO say no news is good news, although part of me feels I could string the idiot who said that up the nearest tree..._

"John?" He looked up from the surveillance reports he was scanning to see the face of his wife.

"Yes?" He smiled at her as she came to sit in his lap.

"You are worrying again."

"And you aren't?" He replied softly. The dim glow of the lamp enveloped everything in a gentle glow, and seemed to cling to her. She pressed herself against him.

"Maybe we should forget about work for a while." She whispered.

"I could live with that." He said, and the pile of reports fell unheeded to the floor.

* * *

Some time later, they dutifully picked them up.

"There still isn't any activity whatsoever in Shadow space, Delenn."

She nodded.

"That's something I don't understand." He continued. "If the other First Ones helping us against the Vorlons is what's kept them from attacking either us or -perhaps- the Vorlons when both are vulnerable, why aren't we getting signs that they're going to ground? From what you told us about the last Shadow war, the Shadows essentially went to ground for a thousand years, and had to rebuild their forces slowly. But we aren't detecting *any* movement on Z'ha'dum -it's like a dead planet."

She didn't have an answer to give him.

It had been over a week since the tremendous battle against the Vorlons, Delenn reflected, and just a few days since President Morgan Clark had been removed from power on Earth. The galaxy was trying to rebuild itself as best it could. Earth, for example, had its provisional government which was trying to deal with Clark's supporters and other radicals who had come to the fore, thanks to the uncertainty of the present situation. John had the Rangers monitoring the situation and protecting government officials, but the situation was still very tense, and the possibility of the Shadows taking advantage of recent events had prompted them all to return to Babylon 5, after the last battle. The other races were tending their wounds, as uncertainty loomed over fate and future. The Vorlons were beaten but not destroyed, and were still a threat, although they had not given any sign of life since being beaten back. The Shadows, who were on everyone's mind these days, had so far not deigned to show themselves; and the other First Ones had vanished without a trace after defeating the Vorlons. And on a more personal front, she knew he was worried about Susan.

Delenn looked down at her hands. And then there was the unrest on Minbar.

"Hey, are you still with me?" John smiled down at her, having piled the last of the Whitestar surveillance reports on the couch.

"Yes, love." She looked up at him, shaking herself from her reverie.

"Is anything wrong?"

"No, no. I was just thinking about things, that's all." She said quietly.

Standing, he raised her up and took her in his arms. "Maybe it'll look better in the morning." He said into her hair, before walking with her into the bedroom.

* * *

"Captain, could I have a word with you?" Stephen Franklin walked into Sheridan's office with a grim look on his face.

"Sure. What's up?" Sheridan put aside the pile of surveillance reports he had been studying.

"I just wanted you to see this."

* * *

That night, John found that paperwork had lost any whisper of allure it had ever held.

 _What a day._ He thought to himself, staring at his drink. _What an abso-fraggin-lutely wonderful day._ The day had started out well enough -he'd actually managed to sleep in for once- but had gone downhill from there, and it wasn't every day that you had to fire a friend.

 _Okay, so I didn't fire Susan._ He told himself, _It sure feels damn close to it though._ He had had to remove her from duty after Franklin had come to him, report in hand, stating that Susan had been over the permissible limit for blood alcohol levels during her recent routine physical examination. And now she had disappeared.

Sighing, he began to put the paperwork away.

* * *

They searched for three days, before Marcus discovered her lying in a pool of her own blood, in some nondescript area of Downbelow. Her injuries were very severe, and all they could do was wait and see if she would live -that and finding who had done this to her and making sure they were very sorry. Security immediately undertook that pleasant task, and were still looking.

"John?" Her voice shook him out a contemplation of the facts.

"What?"

"Are you with me?" Delenn smiled at him gently, holding his hand.

"I am now. I'm sorry, it's this whole mess with Susan that's got me worried. I'm just praying she'll be all right."

"We all are, my love." Standing, she moved into his arms, and they held each other in silence.

"Are you ready to see them now?" She asked, after a time.

He nodded. "Yes."

* * *

"One thing is certain, Captain. They are moving, just as you thought they might." One of the human Rangers sitting before the Sheridans said. John met Delenn's eyes, disturbed, and seeing a similar expression in her eyes. This was one time when he hated being right...

 _Swell._ He thought. _Just swell. As if we didn't have enough to worry about trying to rebuild and regroup in case either the Shadows or Vorlons or both decide to take some more potshots at us. Now I have to worry about a renewal of activity of fanatical groups back home, which means a possible undermining of our_ _forces..._

Aloud he said, "Do you have any names?"

"Some." The Ranger answered, poiting to the data sheets in question. "We looked up several known old members of anti alien groups like the Homeguard, and it turns out many of them recently got broken out of prison -that kind of thing isn't hard to do right now with Earth unsettled the way it is. There also seems to be a good deal of activity on the part of some people that we're pretty sure were in Nightwatch. Basically your general lot of quiet meetings, quiet amassing of funds, quiet searches for weapons suppliers..." Sheridan looked at the names, feeling slightly ill. They had chosen their time well, and had obviously found a common ennemy in the alien influence they saw as ruling Babylon 5. The only question now was when, where and how they would make their move.

* * *

A few hours later, he surveyed the the group of ambassadors assembled in the war room, after finishing his narration of the situation.

"I asked you all here today to apprise you of this situation, as it concerns all of us on some level: if Babylon 5 is gone or weakened, our common front against the Shadows and Vorlons is weakened, as I am sure you know. It is for that reason that I have asked for this meeting.

What I would ask from you is this: if each of your governments would commit to having two ships patrolling Babylon 5 space at all times, and would assist us with manpower on the station, this would susbstantially increase our defenses both against possible Shadow or Vorlon attacks, and against possible terrorist attacks."

He looked at each ambassador in turn as Delenn moved forward and began speaking.

"I know your minds are probably on the needs of your own peoples and worlds, and that you would wish to give them priority at this time. But I would argue that we all need Babylon 5. Without this place and all it means, you know as well as I do that we all have very little chance. Without your cooperation, we have very little chance. I do not think I need to remind you of recent events; and as for present concerns, they have just been elaborated on. The threat is still there. Let us not ignore it." They began deliberating as she walked over to John and G'kar.

Finally, they turned as one towards the humans, Minbari and Narn facing them and indicated their assent.

* * *

An hour later, he was relating his instructions regarding station security to Garibaldi and Zack Allan, Lieutenant Corwin, Franklin, G'kar and a few others.

"I want to double security in critical areas and I want teams posted in public places like the Zocalo  for example. I don't want innocent bystanders as hostages, in the event of an attack by these people. Lieutenant Corwin, you're to collaborate closely with security: I want random searches of all incoming ships, more especially those hailing from Earth space. That should make anyone think twice before bringing weapons aboard. Anyone found loitering in and around critical areas is to be held for questioning. All baggages will also be randomly searched. Stephen, we may need medical help at a moment's notice."

Franklin nodded.

"And finally, we need to elaborate a coherent plan in order to deal with a terrorist attack if it comes."

He looked at Garibaldi who nodded and replied, "I'll take care of it."

"Fine. Any questions?" Sheridan asked.

They shook their heads.

"Let's get to work." Garibaldi said.

* * *

The next few days were filled with preparations for two very different kinds of battle -within and without.

Delenn thought upon this and many things as she sat by a sleeping Susan's bedside, holding her hand. She had regained consciousness the day before, and seemed to be on the mend -physically at least.

"How's she doing?" John whispered, entering the room.

"Much better now, I think." She said, and gestured towards the door. They stepped outside the room, the transparent window of the room allowing them to keep an eye on the patient. "Stephen says she should make a full recovery... At least insofar as her physical injuries are concerned."

"Where's Marcus?"

"Sleeping. As concerns Marcus, John..."

He looked at her questioningly. "Yes?"

"I have granted him indefinite leave from the Rangers. I think that would be best for all, at this time." She said quietly.

John smiled, seeing hints of meaning in her eyes. Taking her hands, he kissed her softly.

"You're a wise woman, Delenn."

* * *

"Entil'Zha." The Ranger bowed briefly and handed her the latest surveillance report from the ships they had stationed near the Galactic Rim.

With increasing alarm, she read the report. "How long ago did this start?" She asked the young woman before her.

"Two hours, Entil'Zha." Nodding her thanks, Delenn moved to call a meeting of the War Council.

The Shadows were moving.

* * *

The situation was, at best, chaotic, Lennier reflected silently. The news that the Shadows had begun to mass ships within their solar system had puzzled and frightened everyone. Those races whose space lay closest to the Rim were now requesting protection, but truly, what protection could be offered? For it was as if the First Ones had ceased to exist -even the Vorlons, who were so anxious to destroy anything touched by their ennemy and yet exhibited a curious reluctance towards direct confrontation with it. Each solar system appearing deserted, unmoving, lifeless.

And finally, Lorien had disappeared as well. This worried Lennier, in a way he could quite understand (for no one knew who and what this being was, nor where he came from -except Captain Sheridan), because without Lorien, how were they to obtain the help of the First Ones which had saved them before?

It was because of all this, finally, that Lennier found himself on the bridge of a Whitestar ship, in a region of hyperspace not very far from the Rim of known space, coordinating between Babylon 5 and the various ships deployed in surveillance positions near the Shadow system.

Shaking his head, Lennier returned his mind to simpler matters he could control, but not before one question crossed his mind.

How would it all end?

* * *

 

It had been days since Lennier had been able to sleep.

As he turned on his bed trying to find a position more conducive to that elusive objective, thoughts of what was happening outside came to haunt him.

It had been almost a week since Captain Sheridan and Delenn had sent him here, outside the Z'ha'dum star system, to observe the gathering of Shadow forces. During this time, Lennier's life had amounted to two things: sending regular messages to Babylon 5 in which he relayed painfully regular increases in Shadow ship numbers in the neighboring system, and worry. After tormenting his sleep, worry had begun invading his daily meditation.

Were he human, or virtually anything save Minbari, he might have tried the intriguing remedy which Commander Ivanova had mentioned to him some time ago (this after he had heard her mutter something about "wishing the wolf would get a life").

Honor and honesty was paramount to the Minbari.

 _I suppose that it is now time for me to honor my kind_ he thought wryly, getting up and going to the bridge, abandoning all pretense.

* * *

The fleet of Shadow ships had reached unheard of proportions. Sheridan had even asked Delenn to find out from Minbari archives if a gathering of this kind had been seen during the last Shadow war -the answer had been a negative. Nothing else of value had been uncovered by the search, for there had never been much known about this strange species.

 _Actually, the only thing that search turned up was that I missed her like hell while she was gone -she leaves for a few hours to talk with some of her people and I lose track of everything, including everything's end._ He chuckled to himself.

"It wasn't THAT funny." Delenn was eyeing him with mock anger, having broken off her discourse of galactic events.

"Sorry. I was just thinking about something."

She smiled at him, "And what would that be?"

Looking down at her gentle eyes, he encircled her in his arms. "That I'm glad you married me, that I don't want to contemplate what this would all be like without you, and that I love you very very much."

"And this made you laugh?" She said, still pretending to be angry.

Laughing and shaking his head, he brought them back to galactic sized matters.

To add to the situation, two days ago they had begun to see movement in Vorlon space, with a large number of ships moving out of Vorlon space to mass in hyperspace. As to other First Ones and Lorien, there was no sign. Sheridan himself had not heard anything from Lorien, including why he left and where he was going. He had brought them all to a state of maximum readiness, amassing his fleet of League, Whitestar and other ships in Babylon 5 space, ready to jump at a moment's notice.

After a few more minutes of studying reports, Sheridan pressed a hand to his eyes, trying to ease the insistant throbbing in his skull. When he looked up again, the surveillance report he had been discussing with Delenn was gone from his field of vision.

Taking his hand, she said softly, "Come to bed. There is not much for us to do here now, and you are worrying again."

"And you aren't?" He asked his wife, seeing his feelings mirrored in her eyes. She nodded silently.

Walking away, they held each other close in spirit as much as in actuality.

Defiant.

* * *

Ranger Nalann sat at her post onboard Whitestar twelve. The ship she commanded and three others had been assigned the duty of keeping watch upon Vorlon space and had been detailing regular increases in the masses of Vorlon ships moving into position in hyperspace nearby.

"What in Valen's-" Her cry was echoed by the exclamations of the other Minbari on the bridge.

The Vorlon ships were gone.

* * *

At the same instant, an equal amount of disbelief was felt in another part of the galaxy.

Lennier leaned forward in his seat on the bridge of a Whitestar ship, reading the sensor data for the third time in as many minutes.

The Shadows were gone.

* * *

"From birth, through death and renewal, you must put aside old things, old fears, old lives." (1)

"Lorien?" John asked wonderingly. Reaching out, he saw his hand pass through the one before him -who was suddenly pure light.

Before him, with something beyond vision, he saw an ocean envelop a gigantic storm of fire -their meeting at first tumultuous, explosive, then transmuting, changing.

"This is your death. The death of flesh, the death of pain, the death of yesterday." (1)

A fundamental peace now surrounded him, resonating to the core of his being. Somehow, in these few moments, the meeting of polarities had become something beyond destructive cataclysm.

Before him stood an ocean with fiery tints to it, somewhat like the rays of the setting sun on waves. In the ocean stood an island, and he noticed for the first time that a breeze caressed their cheeks, smeeling sweetly of flowers and grass and trees.

"Lorien? What's going on?" John asked again. He noticed that he was not alone -a familiar presence stood beside him, wondering at what they were seeing.

"Taste of it, and be not afraid, for I am with you, to the end of time." The litany continued, and ended.

* * *

Awakening, John looked into Delenn's eyes as she lay beside him.

"They are gone." She whispered.

"I saw it too." He said, remembering her presence in his dream. They had both seen.

"And so it begins." She murmured.

* * *

When morning came, the assembly of sentient beings convened to discuss the situation began in chaos and then became worse.

"You say the First Ones are gone, and that they will not return. Your reports say they are all gone. But what guarantee do we truly have that they ARE gone?"

"What protection will you offer us? We demand to be protected, as you have not guaranteed or proven anything! We have a right-"

"We helped you, risked our people on your behalf-"

"We want-"

Delenn looked at her husband. "Someone kill me now..." He muttered, and she chuckled.

"What would you say to your tackling one half of the room, and I the other? You could always borrow Mr. Garibaldi's weapon." She muttered in reply, with a twinkle in her bright eyes.

"Nah. My head already hurts too much." He said softly, while the ever more belligerent ambassadors began to make their way towards the two to further emphasize their loud demands.

Sheridan massaged his temples while the group of ambassadors, now pressed up against the both of them, began a shouting match. After a minute or two, he decided he had had enough -especially considering the fact that the ambassadors' vocal chords appeared to be gaining in ability with practise.

"ALL RIGHT! THAT'S ENOUGH!!!" He shouted. This had as much effect as shouting in vacuum: that is to say, none. The "gentle" beings around him had now resorted to elbowing in front of one another.

Sheridan reasoned that it would probably take them under five minutes to get to blows, in the state they were in. Making a quick decision, he elbowed his own way through the small crowd and walked to Garibaldi, who had his hand on his PPG. Sheridan noticed that his fingers were twitching around the trigger area.

John held out his hand. "Mind if I borrow that for a minute?" He asked above the din, as the ambassadors continued shouting and began to elbow their way towards him.

Taking Garibaldi's weapon, Sheridan aimed at the ceiling and shot three times.

The ambassadors became quiet.

Handing the PPG back to Garibaldi and walking back to Delenn, he muttered in her ear, "You can't say I never take your suggestions into account."

Wearing a bemused expression on her face and a twinkle in her eye, Delenn brought them back to the topic of the Vorlons and the Shadows, after stating -with an undertone of threat in her soft voice- that they would listen to civilized discussion of the situation.

The problem, the difficulty, John knew, was to communicate his and Delenn's certainty. They had both had a dream, a dream which they had known was more than a dream. If anything, it reminded him of the times Kosh had entered into his mind, and was also somehow akin to his experience with Lorien on Z'ha'dum -when he had been reborn. This time, as with those times, he had awakened with a certainty, as if the dream had been a means of communication rather than simply the usual jumble of images generated by a subconscious. The fact that his wife had had the exact same dream and felt the same certainty only served to confirm what he somehow felt -or perhaps rather knew- inside: the First Ones had left the galaxy permanently.

Then the reports had come from the ships they had stationed on the edges of Vorlon and Shadow space, stating that the enormous Vorlon and Shadow fleets which had amassed over several days had simply vanished. Sheridan had sent more ships to both regions of space, along with orders to examine every inch of the systems 'with a fine tooth comb'; as well as missions to explore the worlds previously occupied by the other First Ones. The preliminary reports sent by the ships assigned these tasks had come back a short time ago: there appeared to be no one left.

And now part of their problems resided with a rather belligerent group of ambassadors. Truth be told, Sheridan mused to himself, he couldn't really blame them. Despite his and Delenn's odd 'certainty' that the First Ones were gone, reason and prudence demanded that he not blindly accept this as truth.

* * *

Days later, the situation was still more or less the same: reports from the missions sent to investigate the disappearance of the First Ones were continuously negative as they looked closer and closer at the worlds and star systems in question. Several races within the League had chosen to send in their own missions to investigate -which had caused some tension when ships of various denominations crossed one another's path, or two expeditions insisted on examining the same 2.5 inches of space of planet.

For his money, John Sheridan truly wished he could tell all of them to go do something nasty to themselves, as all complaints and demands for refereeing were almost invariably addressed to those on Babylon 5. It was a thoughtful touch he could have done without.

One part of the problem was that he knew they would find nothing, and knew it with a certainty that grew as the days waned.

 _So this is the end, and the beginning._ He thought to himself as he lay in bed. This day had been more of the same -in other words long, and yet he could not sleep. He looked over at Delenn asleep beside him, and turned towards her. How odd, perhaps, to have one's heart and soul uplifted while reason still struggled, he thought as he caressed her soft cheek. And yet... Not odd to faith, he thought, as a smile came to his face.

Faith, after all, manages.

* * *

FINITO/THE END

 


End file.
